WEDNESDAY 14 NOVEMBER

HEREFORD AND CARDIFF
As you probably know, I was away last weekend ( - the Saturday and Sunday Nightshifts were prerecorded last week) visiting old friends of mine in Hereford and then Cardiff. Hereford’s a pleasant enough spot I suppose, although it’s extraordinarily busy for such a small city and its cathedral (again, pleasant enough) is like a pimply parish church compared to Durham. I guess we’re used to being overawed by our great buildings here in the north-east. We’ve been kind of ‘spoilt’ by their sheer monumentality so that many of England’s greatest sites appear rather puny in our eyes.
Having said all that, it’s worth noting that not all of our most amazing buildings are as mind-bogglingly awesome as Durham Cathedral or Bamburgh Castle. The tiny, and very well-hidden, parish church at Old Bewick in Northumberland is a gem you can cuddle up to; the Saxon church at Old Seaham on the Durham coast has stood sentinel there for almost 1,400 years; and the church at Escomb, near Bishop Auckland (also Saxon) is said to be the oldest complete building above ground in all of England. Another kind of unsung north-east ‘hero’ to add to the Nightshift list.

MOTOR NEURONE DISEASE (MND)
The friends I visited in Cardiff are called Nic (the Welsh-language spelling!) and Trish. Nic is my oldest friend - I met him at University 40 years ago. Last Spring he was diagnosed with MND. At the time, there were no visible symptoms. There are now.
It was shocking to see such an independent-minded, lively and active man ravaged by this iniquitous disease. It does its damage by preventing the ‘motor neurones’ - the messages from the brain to the muscles - from working. Gradually, the muscles stop working altogether and simply shrivel. It’s truly terrifying and utterly merciless. It’s not just moving, gripping and other ‘activities’ which are affected. Muscles are, of course, involved with simple actions like speaking and swallowing, both of which are getting more and more difficult for Nic.
To be honest, I’m not coping particularly well with the situation. I know that sounds unforgivably selfish and I don’t mean it to. Nic is, of course, the one who needs the help and support of those around him. But they are devastated, too. I wish I didn’t feel so completely powerless - helpless - in the face of this ruthless and incurable illness that Nic and his wife are confronting so bravely.
I left Cardiff a humbled and very angry person. If ANYONE EVER says to me ‘God works in mysterious ways......’ or ‘God is working his purpose out.....’ or ‘this is happening for a reason’.....I will personally pour something disgusting over them and will have to be restrained from doing something much worse.
Nic is my oldest friend. If you have any experience of this situation, please help me. Please.

KNOW YOUR NORTH-EAST
BBC Radio Newcastle is 36. The blue touch paper was lit in January 1971. If you have any ideas how we Truckshunters can celebrate the station’s 37th birthday in January, let me know.
Today’s question is an easy one: what does the place-name Jesmond mean?

NIGHTSHIFT CLASSIC
Tonight’s Classic was Adiemus by the modern Welsh composer Karl Jenkins. I played it to honour my next-door neighbours, who remembered it used as a backing-track for a Building Society ad!

CONTACT ME
Post comments on this blog or contact me in any one (or more) of these ways....
ian.robinson@bbc.co.uk
text 07786 200954 (while the programme is on-air)
call (between about 0545 and 0630 Monday to Friday) 0191 232 6565
Ian Robinson, The Nightshift, BBC Radio Newcastle, Spital Tongues, Newcastle-upon-Tyne NE99 1RN

NOTE
Please bear in mind that the views expressed in this blog are my own and NOT the views of the BBC.